Joe Root is so angry with himself as he walks off the pitch and punches the back of his bat (Elizabeth Ammon writes). It was a beautiful delivery by Pat Cummins that just moved enough to induce the edge.

Joe Root is out, edging behind off Cummins. The England batsman is absolutely furious with himself having felt at one in the channel. He departs for 39 and Harry Brook comes to the middle, needing to really dig in.

Needing to chase a mammoth total of 435 in the fourth innings, England fell to 31 for two as Duckett was dismissed in the second over for four, before a stunning catch in the slips by Marnus Labuschagne did for Ollie Pope for 17.

Joe Root survives, but it’s a bit controversial because Root hasn’t played a shot and ball tracking shows it’s hitting the stumps on umpire’s call. That could fester.

Travis Head thinks he has Joe Root lbw, and vigorously appeals. Nothing doing from the umpire.

Australia need eight wickets for the Ashes and a series win, having set England what would be a record-breaking fourth innings score to win a Test match of 435 (

Mike Atherton writes). Only one team has ever chased more than 300 in Adelaide and that was as long ago as 1902. England are 106 for two at tea, clinging on gamely through a good third-wicket partnership between Zak Crawley and Joe Root.

England actually had a very good morning with the ball, knocking over the last six Australian wickets quickly, in a collapse of six for 38 in 65 balls. The seamers shared the wickets, and there was one for Ben Stokes, who bowled seven overs at the start of the day to quash the rumours of an injury from the day before. Travis Head was dismissed for 170, just shy of his Test-best.

But the dismissal of Ben Duckett, second ball, knocked the gloss off the morning. Duckett had been given a sighter by Pat Cummins, which he clipped to the mid-wicket boundary, but fenced loosely at his second ball, edging to slip in the final over before lunch. Ironically, Duckett left the crease practising his leave — a (non) shot he has largely avoided during his second coming as a Test opener.

Ollie Pope’s chances of playing in Melbourne look very thin, after another low score. He was brilliantly caught at second slip by Marnus Labuschagne, who flung himself to his left to take a one-handed screamer. Australia’s fielding has been brilliant in this series- another difference between the teams — and this might have been the best catch of them all. Australia do the fundamentals very well.

Nathan Lyon has looked largely ineffective through six overs and has been milked quietly because of the deep-set fields. He will have a bring role to play in the final session, one imagines, which makes Root’s continued presence at the crease vital; nobody in the England team plays spin better, nor turns over the strike more ably than him.

Hello and welcome to the Times’ live coverage of day four of the third Ashes Test from the Adelaide Oval. Australia are on the brink of retaining the urn as they look to reach an unassailable 3-0 lead over their rivals England.

The touring side have had a torrid time down under, and had their already measly hopes ground to dust by another huge knock from Travis Head (142* overnight) alongside Alex Carey (52* overnight).

England took the remaining six Australian wickets for just 38 runs in the morning session, before returning to the middle needing to make a record run chase to save the series.

How long will it take for Australia to seal the deal and head to Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test with the Ashes already secured?